Carla Hassett’s Album “+Blue” Explores the Meaning of Home

“Moving to a foreign country opens you up to an entirely novel way of living”, says Carla Hassett, a Brazilian-American singer and songwriter who has faced the pain and delight of this experience for almost her entire life. On her latest album, +Blue, she explores the meaning of “home” and the complexities of growing up between two countries and cultures.

Hassett was born in the enormous city of São Paulo and grew up in a Brazilian community in Chicago, studying piano and guitar from an early age. Besides absorbing the Brazilian music her parents and extended family enjoyed listening to at home, Hassett soaked up rock, blues, funk and all of the other sounds popular in the Windy City. It wasn’t long before she turned pro, playing and singing with Chicago bands and lending her voice to jingles for national advertising campaigns. She also toured with Sergio Mendes and Billy Idol and lent her voice to the soundtracks of the Rio movies.

Carla Hassett and Caetano Veloso

Currently based in Los Angeles, Hassett found inspiration for her fourth recording while working with her fellow Brazilian Caetano Veloso, in 2012, when she first heard his song A Little More Blue, recorded in 1971 in London during his exile.”I’ve never been a political exile, but I understand that longing.”

+Blue features 10 songs, including seven originals, and spans genres ranging from samba to funk to world music to baião to rock to Tropicalia to jazz. Regardless of the style, you can count on Hassett to put her own unique stamp on each tune, as seen on South American Way, a song immortalized by the legendary Carmen Miranda.

While recording and reflecting on the complexities of leaving where your roots are, Hassett arrived at the conclusion that where you land is where you belong. That said, you should download Carla Hassett’s new album +Blue on iTunes and enjoy her unique sweet voice likely belonging to your playlist, no matter where you at in this world.

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